From Financial Ruin to Recovery My Financial Independence (FI) Awakening was born out of financial ruin. I was 6 years behind on my personal taxes and had $40K worth of debt weighing down on me. I felt ashamed. I was beyond frustrated with my financial position to the point that I mostly tried to avoid … Read more
Even though we all have our unique money journeys, I think my story is normal and I am just your average guy. I am an enlisted Marine who made far too many financial mistakes through my career, as many enlisted members do. Thankfully, I made some OK decisions along the way, like investing in the … Read more
I can’t believe that it’s only been a little over two years since my husband and I discovered Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE). It’s crazy that in such a short period of time, we were able to get closer to financial independence. And it didn’t take much, but a little bit of intentionality. Our journey … Read more
I’m Becky, I’m 64 years old and have been married to Stephen for more than 40 years. We have three adult children. Like many, we’ve faced life challenges and didn’t always make the most calculated or ideal financial choices. While we are fortunate to have found sound financial footing, we’ve come a long way since … Read more
Goats, Goals, and Delayed Gratification My Financial Independence (FI) story begins in my grandfather’s lap. He often read me the children’s book, Dr. Goat, which sits on my mantle today. This story is about Dr. Goat, a family doctor who makes house calls to treat sick animals. Near the end of the book, Dr. Goat … Read more
With the script for the American Dream held tightly in hand, I set out to live my dream life by pursuing the one and only path. I knew that a college degree in a high-tech field would give me a head start. I found a career with a real honest-to-goodness pension plan and a 401(k). … Read more
I was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1980 and I think that makes me a borderline millennial with some behaviors from Generation X. I was raised by frugal parents who taught me the value of hard work and saving for the future. Modest Beginnings My parents came from low income families. In South America this … Read more
If you told me I would grow up to be an entrepreneur, I would’ve said you were nuts. My path to entrepreneurship hasn’t been easy. It started in college. I spent four years laser-focused on whatever it took to get the ultimate job and be “successful.” Thankfully, I formed great relationships and took entrepreneurship courses … Read more
I am an enlisted service member with the U.S. Air Force. My wife is a medical writer with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. We are DINKS (dual income, no kids) and will be financially independent (FI) in April 2020 but will continue working for a little longer in pursuit of “Fat FI.” Although it has been … Read more
From College Dropout to… My wife, Carol, and I met in spring 2014. She was living in Frederick, Maryland, working as an au pair, and I was a student at Penn State. A few months later, I decided to drop out of college. I did so to pursue a business I had started about a … Read more